What If
by Lady Nightwisp
Summary: First Fanfic! The outlaws join the king in the holy land after the sheriff is stopped. Djaq was never captured or taken to England but lives near the fighting. WillDjaq some RobinMarian
1. Chapter 1

What If…

Disclamer: I do not own Robin Hood or any of the characters. They belong to the BBC

What if, by a twist of fate, Saffiya a.k.a. Djaq was never taken prisoner or brought to England? What if King Richard came home for a few days to stop the Sheriff? What if he asked the outlaws to come back to the Holy Land with him? What if they agreed? What would happen then? Let's see...

Outlaw Camp 1192

"Master! Master!" Much burst into camp, clearly excited. So excited, in fact, that he ran into one of the several tripwires placed strategically around the camp and fell flat on his face.

"Not being funny but, you really should watch where you're going." Allan A Dale pointed out from his place by the fire. Robin Hood glared at the cheeky trickster before going to help his friend up.

"I wish you would stop calling me 'Master'. Now, what could be so important to make you forget to look for traps?" Much looked insulted but accepted the hand his leader offered. As soon as he was on his feet he glared at Allan and Robin.

"Just for that I won't tell you and I'll-"

"Much!" Will Scarlett interrupted. The young carpenter knew that if Much said another word Allan would explode."Sit down and eat something, then tell us what's going on." He also knew that Much loved food

"Well, at least one of us has some manners." Much declared loftily.

"Much!" growled Little John. That tone, coupled with his large size was usually enough to silence anyone.

"Righto, shutting up" Much replied, looking cheerfully at the plate in front of him. He sampled a bit.

"Mmm, delicious. Who made them? "

"I did" a soft voice replied from next to the kitchen. Much jumped.

"Marian! What are you doing here?" he asked

"Guy discovered my secret identity. I had to come here"

"You told me you were only staying for the night." Robin called. She shrugged.

"I lied."

"I'd say I'm sorry for you but I'm not." Robin said, rather rudely. Marian responded by playfully whapping him on the head with her spoon. Then she turned to face Much.

"Tell us your news… or else!" she insisted waving the spoon threateningly. He backed away in mock terror.

"All right, All right! This is what I found out today: the King is in England, and he's coming here to Nottingham."


	2. Chapter 2

Nottingham Castle

"Gisbourne!!" the Sheriff of Nottingham yelled. He was furious! This wasn't supposed to happen! The King wasn't supposed to come to Nottingham to 'check on affairs'! And he especially wasn't supposed to insist on an audience with him **and **those blasted outlaws! Curse him! If he lost his position someone was going to pay. He merely had to decide who.

Sir Guy of Gisbourne burst into the room, just in time to be hit with a flying goblet of wine.

"My Lord?"

The Next Day

King Richard the Lionheart sat in the makeshift throne in the great hall of Nottingham Castle.

"Your most illustrious majesty, are you sure about this? I mean is it really wise to talk to outlaws?" the sheriff had said that so many times in the last hour that it was beginning to grate on Richard's nerves.

Luckily he was saved from having to listen to the rest of the speech by the sound of footsteps approaching. Guy of Gisbourne, the Sheriff's annoying, leather-wearing right hand man, admitted the six outlaws with a scowl.

In the lead was Robin Hood, formerly Robin of Locksley, hero of the poor. Beside him was a lovely lady with wavy brown hair. The king guessed this was the fair Lady Marian he had heard so much about. Following them was Much, Robin's former manservant, and three men he didn't know: a large man holding a quarterstaff, a blue eyed man that simply reeked of trouble, and a dark haired man carrying an axe and looking around as if he suspected a trap.

Robin approached the throne and knelt.

"Your Majesty"

"Robin of Locksley, my old friend, you needn't bow to me. Rise and introduce me to your friends." Robin stood.

"You remember Much Your Majesty. This is Little John" he indicated the big man with the quarterstaff "Allan A Dale" the blue eyed one "Will Scarlett" the dark haired one with the axe "and, of course the lovely Lady Marian." Lady Marian blushed slightly but Richard noticed she was quick to glare at Guy if he so much as looked at her.

"Now Robin tell me what has been going on while I've been away?" The King commanded.

"Your Majesty, I don't mean to question your orders but these outlaws have a tendency to lie, or at least twist the truth. I would be happy to tell you what's been happening." The sheriff desperately begged.

"Silence!" the king roared. "I trust Robin to tell me the truth."

Robin began his tale.

"After I returned home I found that Guy of Gisbourne had taken over my lands and there was a new sheriff. The people of Nottingham were being forced to pay insanely high taxes and punishments were harsh. The sheriff and Sir Guy both immediately disliked me, probably because I was so well liked by the peasants. The sheriff tried to force me to hang Will, his brother Luke, and a friend of theirs for no better reason than stealing a bit of flour to survive. He added Allan in there too when he lied and told the jailer he was from Locksley." At this point Allan suddenly became very interested in his boots. Will's face was expressionless, but he was clutching his axe so tightly that his knuckles were white. Robin continued his account "As you can probably tell I rescued them, but we were forced to flee to the forest. We met Little John there and he joined us. Since then we have been helping the poor and terrorizing the sheriff. We are Robin Hood" That last sentence was echoed by the outlaws. Richard hid a smile. It was easy to tell that these men were very loyal to Robin, and each other. He turned to the sheriff.

"Vasey, what do you have to say to that?"

"It's not true Your Majesty!" the sheriff burst out. "You see, your brother saw that the former sheriff, Sir Edward, was not doing his job so he appointed me sheriff. It's true I made a few reforms but I've always been fair. Then Robin" he looked like the name left a bad taste in his mouth "showed up. He had absolutely no respect for me and flaunted my authority. I asked him to oversee the punishment of a few of his men and he agreed. He then made a big show of rescuing them and, naturally, I outlawed him. I could not simply forgive him. Since then he has been robbing me and other lords for money." The sheriff finished smugly. The king considered both sides for a minute then turned to Will.

"Will Scarlett, What was your crime?" Will gave the same answer that he had given nearly a year ago when Robin had asked him the same question.

"Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, living under an evil sheriff. Where do our taxes go? They go to Nottingham, to the sheriff's birds" That had been the day before the sheriff had almost- no, the day before Robin had rescued him.

King Richard could see that if Will clutched that axe any tighter it would break. He made his decision

"Sheriff, you want the outlaws gone correct?" the sheriff nodded "Robin, you and your men want the sheriff removed from power."

"Yes your Majesty. We would like to have Sir Edward restored to power." Richard smiled.

"I have a solution that will satisfy both your requests. Sir Edward will be restored to power and Sheriff Vasey can go back to doing whatever he was doing before he became sheriff."

"You mean running errands for Prince John in hopes that he'll get promoted?" Allen cut in.

The King glared at him.

"I can see why Vasey doesn't like you. As I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted. That of course doesn't satisfy Vaseys' request, Therefore, Robin, I believe you promised to serve me in

the Holy land for 5 years. You were injured after 4 years and 7 months. You owe me 5 more months. I would like you and your men to accompany me back to the Holy Land when I return. What do you say?"

Robin turned to look at his gang. "Lads?" he asked. Marion was the first to speak.

"I will follow you anywhere my love."

Little John agreed. "We go with you."

"Might be nice to see some of our friends from the kings guard" Much piped up. Robin looked at Will who gave a nod indicating his approval. Allan was still studying his boots.

"Allen?" Robin bentured. Allan looked up.

"I guess it's fair enough, and if I don't agree I'll be out voted anyway, so I might as well agree." Robin turned back to the King.

"We agree to these terms, your Majesty." The king nodded.

"Good, we leave from Portsmouth in 1 week."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I **don't** own Robin Hood or the characters :(

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Here's the next chapter for you guys.

Acre, 8 months later

Will cursed as once again his stupid cloak got in the way. He really wished he hadn't worn it today. Well, at least he didn't have to wear the uniform that most crusaders did.  
Robin had continued leading the gang in the Holy Land, despite the fact that many of the senior crusaders disapproved of their rather motley group. The king understood that  
they were not well trained, but he also knew that they were a strong team. Slowly they had gained the respect of both the crusaders and the Saracens. Even Marian was  
eventually accepted as a fighter in her own right and not just Robin's lady. Most of the king's guard left them alone, either out of respect or fear of being seen with former outlaws.  
Only one man outside the original gang had become part of their group. His name was Carter.

Though they were strikingly similar, Robin and Carter had disliked each other on sight. Before long their intense hatred had  
escalated into a fight. But, astoundingly they had come out of the fight best friends.

Will brought himself back to reality just in time to avoid a sword aimed at his head. He knocked the Saracen wielding it unconscious.  
Why did he keep getting distracted? In six days Robin's five years would be up. He just needed to survive that long - something that seemed harder every day. Then they would go home.

A sharp pain in his left arm brought him back to the fight. He saw blood welling from a deep gash near his shoulder.  
That's what you get for not paying attention, he told himself. He swung his axe at the Saracen in front of him whose sword was gilded with blood – his blood – and the man fell.

Will turned to take on the next opponent. Something hit the back of his head and everything faded to black.

Sorry it's so short, I wanted to end it with a cliffhager. Hope you enjoyed! Please review


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still don't own Robin Hood, or the characters

Author's Note: I know next to nothing about Saracen cities in the 1100s so this is definitely not historically accurate.

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The Saracen City

Bells were ringing. Their triumphant sound echoed through the city. It reached the ears of a young Saracen maiden studying in her room. The young woman flew down the stairs. She had to find out what was going on. The door was only steps away, almost there…

"Saffiya" a stern voice called. She sighed, she had been so close. Now, doubtless, she'd be given even more studying to do. It was so unfair, she couldn't do anything here. Not for the first time she wished she had been born a boy. But to her surprise Bassam merely smiled and said

"Wear your cloak." Saffiya didn't hesitate. She grabbed her dark green cloak and ran out of the house, fastening the clasp as she went.

She headed towards the town center where most of the commotion was coming from. The outskirts of the square alone were so packed that she could see that it would be nearly impossible to get anywhere near the middle, which was where the source of all the commotion was. She sighed and looked around. As she did an idea struck her. Within a minute she was on top of a nearby house surveying the scene in front of her.

Saffiya lay at the edge of the roof staring at the town center laid out before her like a map. In the middle of the square was a small unoccupied circular area with something at its center. She pulled a spyglass from a concealed pocket in her dress. She had to see more.

The unoccupied circle was soon explained. There were several armed and serious soldiers keeping the crowd away from the object in the center. Saffiya then turned her spyglass, and her attention, to that object.

The 'object' was an unconscious young Englishman with dark brown hair, chained to a post. Why all this excitement over such a trivial event. She couldn't see what was so special about this man. He could be a soldier she supposed but, he wore no uniform. He looked more like an errand boy, or maybe some rich crusader's servant, but nothing important enough to cause such a commotion. It was then that she saw the insignia on his right shoulder. She gasped and nearly dropped the spyglass as she realized the cause of all the excitement. This man was very important indeed.

He was one of the Archer's men.

The Crusader Camp

Robin also heard the bells ringing. But to him they were not triumphant. Instead they signified that the Saracens were up to something. He called a meeting in his tent. Allan was the last one there. The troublemaker looked unusually worried.

"Robin" he started "I-"

"Tell me later Allan."

"But Robin-"

"Robin told you to shut up!" Carter interrupted. Allan glared at him but did as he was told. No one ignored Carter. Robin got right down to business.

"We need to find out the reason all those bells are ringing. I think that- Allan, where's Will? I told you to tell him we were having a meeting."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Allan burst out. "I can't find him anywhere!"

"What do you mean?" Much asked "There aren't that many hiding places around here"

"I don't think he's even in camp." Allan insisted "No one has seen him since this morning. I think he's been captured. That could explain your bells Robin."

"It's an interesting theory" Robin agreed "Let's go check it out."

Six cloaked figures snuck across the desert and climbed the walls of the Saracen stronghold. From there the leader pulled out a spyglass and looked over the wall. He saw what he was looking for and then passed the instrument around. Their worst fears were confirmed.

Will Scarlett had been captured.

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Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Still don't own Robin Hood :(

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The Next Day

Saffiya hurried to finish the errands she was running for Bassam. Normally, she would have complained and went as slow as possible, just to annoy him, but not today. Today she wanted to thank him for letting her go out yesterday. Plus, she wanted to see the prisoner up close. The crowd had mostly cleared up now that the initial excitement was over.

As soon as she finished her errands she strode purposely towards the town center. Now she could get a closer look at the Englishman. She was more than a little curious. She had heard many tales of the Archer. She knew most were probably exaggerated. After all, it was impossible to shoot a crossbow bolt in half while it was in the air, right? So, what really made the Archer and his men so special? The square was a bit more crowded than she had expected, but it wasn't too hard to elbow her way to the middle.

Now she was able to see the man. He was younger than she had first thought, only about nineteen or twenty, and he was less than a foot taller than her. **This** was one of the Archer's men?! She had expected the Archer would have richer, more experienced men in his ranks but this man was definitely not rich, and experience was doubtful considering his age. She checked the insignia on his right shoulder to make sure she had seen it properly yesterday. It was the symbol of the Archer's men. She looked at his other shoulder and winced slightly when she saw the deep gash there. Then her eyes moved to his face. And there they stayed riveted.

He was conscious, she realized with a start. He was so still that she had assumed that he was still out. But he was not. His pale eyes were wide open. To her, his face was an open book. Saffiya saw pain, annoyance, determination, guilt, and sadness written clearly all over his face. But surprisingly, he did not seem to be angry or afraid. That intrigued her. She knew that if she was captured by his comrades she would be terrified, as well as angry. She scanned his face again, wondering if she had missed something. She had not. He was rather good looking she couldn't help but notice. Instantly she chided herself for thinking something so girlish and silly.

For a brief second, that lasted forever and no time at all Saffiya met the gaze of the young crusader. She lost herself in his grey-green eyes. Then another spectator walked in front of her and brought her back to her senses. Frightened by the intensity of the Englishman's gaze, she ran.

What had just happened? Will wondered. One second he was scanning the crowd in the square, looking for a rescue party, and the next he found himself staring into the most gorgeous pair of chocolate eyes he had ever seen. They belonged to an equally lovely Saracen woman with raven black hair. But after a second someone had walked in front of her and she had vanished. Will went back to scanning the crowd. But this time he was not looking for Robin.

Saffiya ran into the house. She stormed up the stairs and into her room. She hoped anyone who saw her would assume she was simply annoyed at some shopkeeper who had been rude to her. As soon as she was safely in her room she slammed the door and leaned against it. The sturdy oak lent her strength. She finally allowed herself to think about what had happened that day. What had happened? Why had she run? Those were questions she couldn't answer, and she hated questions she couldn't answer.

She sat down at her desk, pushed the science books aside and absentmindedly began to doodle on her notes. That calmed her for a minute, until she saw that she had drawn a pair of eyes staring into the distance, and it was obvious who's eye's they were.

She nearly screamed in frustration. That stupid Englishman was ruining her life! Somehow, in the brief second their eyes had met he had ripped down all of the walls she had so carefully constructed in her mind and seen straight to her soul. Now she was being bombarded by the memories, fears, and emotions that she had kept locked away for so long. How had he done it? Yet another unanswerable question. She sighed.

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Reviews make me happy (hint, hint)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Robin Hood.

Sorry it's later than usual. I haven't had access to the internet all weekend.

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Later That Night

Saffiya was not exactly sure when she had made the decision, but she had made it and now she would follow through with her plan. She always followed through. She slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to her closet. There was a dusty box on the top shelf that hadn't been touched since it was placed there; not until now. Carefully, almost reverently, Saffiya took it down and opened it. This box held painful memories, but everything inside was in good shape. The box held some of her twin brother's clothes. Djaq had fought, and died, in the Crusades. She forced herself to stop thinking about the past and focus on the present. She found a shirt, pants, a loose vest, and a pair of boots. She tried them on and was pleased to discover that they fit perfectly. With her hair hidden under a hat, she could easily pass for a boy. She picked up her bag and slipped out the window onto the silent streets.

What she was doing was incredibly stupid and she knew it. But that didn't matter. She had to do this. She had to prove to herself that she was not afraid of the crusader. Anyway, the gash on his shoulder looked bad and she could help with that.

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Will was staring sullenly at the guard in front of him when suddenly a figure cartwheeled out of the shadows. The guard was knocked senseless. Only one person he knew could do that.

"Marian!?" he asked. The person turned. To his disappointment, he saw that it was a Saracen boy, not Marian.

"Sorry," he said in Arabic, "I thought you were someone else." The boy avoided his eyes and replid in heavily accented English,

"Your archer didn't send me but I can help you. I am skilled with herbs. I will do what I can for your injury." It took Will a moment to realize that the Saracen was talking about his shoulder. He was thinking about how the boy's eyes were the exact same color as those of the girl he had seen earlier.

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Saffiya wished that the young crusader would stop staring at her. It was starting to make her nervous. Did he recognize her from earlier? Instantly, she rejected the idea. Their eyes had only met for a second. She forced herself to concentrate, no mean task with those pale eyes watching her. Somehow, she managed to push her emotions to the back of her mind, but they threatened to break through the flimsy wall holding them back any second. She examined the Englishman's injury. The wound was deep, but not too serious, though it would need to be sewn up.

"This might hurt," she told the young man, "Try not to scream. The last thing we need is a ton of guards running over here." He nodded.

"I understand."

She reached into her bag, pulled out a needle and thread, and got to work. To his credit, the crusader remained silent as she quickly and efficiently stitched up the wound, although she could see that it hurt him. That impressed her. She knew firsthand how much stitches hurt. She also knew how loud some men could scream. After about a minute, Saffiya tied off the thread and stepped back to survey her work. She frowned at how obvious the stitches were. She pulled a jar of red paste out of her bag and rubbed it over the stitches. That would have to do.

"This will hide the stitches and prevent infection." She explained with a glance at the clock. "I have to go now; the watch will be changing soon. About the guard, your best bet would be to pretend you can't speak Arabic." The crusader forced a smile.

"I'll just tell them he got drunk and knocked himself out." He paused, and then asked "What's your name?"

"Djaq" she answered without thinking. She hadn't meant to answer at all, much less tell him her brother's name, but it had just slipped out.

"Thank you, Djaq." He whispered. She liked the way he said Djaq, like it was her name and not her brother's.

"Goodbye," she murmured as she melted into the shadows. She snuck home and climbed back into her room. She pulled off Djaq's clothes and replaced them in the box. She was asleep in moments. That night Saffiya's dreams were of a young Englishman with grey-green eyes.

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Thanks for reading! Please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: If I owned Robin Hood you would know.

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The Next Morning

"Saffiya!!!" Bassam sounded furious. What could she have done to make him so mad? Sleepily, she opened her eyes. Whatever it was, she couldn't deal with it while she was asleep. Her guardian was standing at the foot of her bed, fuming. She could swear she saw steam coming out of his ears.

"What's going on?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Would you be so kind as to explain these to me?" He held up the boots she had worn last night. _Damn_, she thought, _I am so busted. _But she tried to get out of it anyway.

"They're Djaq's boots."

"I can see that" He snapped "Why were they at the foot of your bed covered in mud?" At the foot of the bed? She was sure she had put them away last night. Taking her silence as an admission of her guilt Bassam continued.

"You're seeing someone, aren't you Saffiya?" Well, that was one way to put it. She was saved from having to answer when her rather annoying maid, Nadira, bounced in.

"Saffiya's seeing someone?! Who? Come on, tell me, pleeeeease." Saffiya glared at her.

"I'm not seeing anyone. Go away." Nadira ignored her and started chanting in an annoying singsong voice.

"Saffiya's got a boyfriend; Saffiya's got a boyfriend, Saffiya's-"

"Nadira! Do as you're told." Bassam commanded. Sulking, she obeyed. But she gave Saffiya a look that promised that the interrogation would continue later. As soon as Nadira had shut the door, Bassam turned his ice-cold glare back to her.

"Saffiya, I expected better of you." She could tell this was going to be a long lecture, so she concentrated on getting comfortable. "You are the last girl I'd suspect of sneaking out to meet a boy, but now I find evidence that you are doing just that. What's gotten into you? Saffiya, you are to be married in less than a week." She sat bolt upright. A week?!! She completely ignored what her guardian was saying and did some hasty calculations. No matter how she looked at it, her eighteenth birthday- and her marriage- were in five days.

When she had come to live with Bassam, after her family was slaughtered, she had been fourteen. Her good looks had caught the eye of a rich lord. The man had spoken with Bassam, who had approved the match; without asking her, she might add. Lord Alter was a good man, but she didn't really like him. Of course, no one cared what she thought. By her fifteenth birthday it was official, they would be married the day she turned eighteen. She had forgotten it as quickly as possible after that, shoving it behind the one wall in her mind that hadn't been torn down by that crusader.

She forced herself to calm down. She had known about this for ages and she thought she had accepted her fate. Why was she suddenly dreading this even more than ever? She knew the answer to that question, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Saffiya! Did you hear me?! You are to deliver these messages with Nadira. As soon as you get back feed the pigeons and clean their cages. Then, you are banished to your room until dinner."

"Yes Bassam." She replied meekly. However, inside she was rather pleased. Although doing anything with Nadira was guaranteed to be dreadful she loved anything to do with the birds and she could handle staying in her room. She was getting off pretty easy.

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Will thought back to last night and the Saracen, Djaq, who had helped him. Djaq had said that 'The Archer' hadn't sent him, but what had the boy meant? He knew that the 'Archer' was Robin. That much was clear. No one else could have earned that title. He had initially assumed that Djaq meant that he was Carter's spy (it was no secret that Carter had a Saracen spy) and had been sent by Carter without Robin's consent. Now after thinking about it he wasn't so sure. Could Djaq have been working alone? Why would a Saracen risk his own life to help a stranger? It was possible that Djaq had some ulterior motive, but what? It didn't make sense. Oh well, it didn't really matter. What mattered was that he had an ally in this place. He wondered if Djaq would come tonight. He certainly hoped so.

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Yes, I know late again. I've been really busy.

Please review(insert image of cute begging puppy).


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Robin Hood.

Authors Note: About halfway through this chapter I switch from using the name Saffiya to using the name Djaq. This is because at this point she has started to think of herself as Djaq. Hope that doesn't confuse anyone.

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Later That Night

Saffiya lay in bed with her eyes closed but she was definitely not asleep. She was torn between helping the crusader escape and just staying here and doing nothing. After all, she told herself, she had certainly helped enough. Not to mention the fact that she was getting married in five days. Sneaking out to meet a boy probably wasn't a great idea. Especially one she couldn't seem to understand.

Just as soon as she thought she had decided to play it safe, she heard the pigeons cooing softly in their cages. The gentle noise made her reconsider. The pigeons never let anything stop them from following their hearts. Her heart was telling her that she had to help the Englishman escape. If he was killed- and she knew he would be if he didn't escape- her healing would be pointless. She realized that she actually liked him. But nothing more, she told herself.

She put Djaq's boots and outfit again but when she reached for the hat it was gone. Someone had been messing with her stuff. Under her breath she muttered something that would have gotten her confined to her room for a week had Bassam heard. She couldn't risk a candle to search for it. Instead she pulled back her hair and covered it with her hood. That would have to do. She didn't have time for anything else. As she crept towards the center of town she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. But every time she glanced behind there was nothing.

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Will was almost asleep when a hooded figure cartwheeled out of the shadows, knocking out the guard in the process.

"Djaq!" his voice betrayed how glad he was to see the Saracen. The boy smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. After a moment Djaq turned serious.

"I'm going to help you get out of here." The boy announced. It took a minute for the words to sink in.

"You what? When? How?" Will sputtered.

Djaq replied slowly, as if that might help him comprehend the idea.

"I'm going to help rescue you, as soon as possible, and my plan is this: I'll have your friends pretend that they captured me. Then they will trade me for you." Will stared blankly at the boy, who pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal the girl he had locked eyes with yesterday. Once again he was drowning in her amazing brown eyes. He wished this moment could last forever.

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Djaq also wished that the moment could last forever. After a minute of staring into his eyes, which glistened like stars, the crusader spoke.

"I realized I never told you my name. It's Will, Will Scarlett."

"Will" Djaq repeated. She liked the name. It was different. Then she forced herself to be serious again.

"My guardian, as well as the jerk I'm betrothed to, have a lot of influence. If I were captured, they would do everything in their power to pay any ransom." A slow smile spread across Will's face.

"It just might just work." He mused "But how are you going to get 'captured'? The gang doesn't take prisoners" She assumed that 'the gang' was his friends, the Archer's men.

"It'll be simple." she assured him "I'll just sneak out in the morning and talk to your friends." Will didn't look convinced but he told her:

"In that case, you should talk to Marian. She's the only woman crusader, so she kind of stands out. You'll see her." They discussed some other details until the clock struck twelve. Djaq sighed, she didn't want to go, but she had to.

"Goodbye Djaq."

"Goodbye Will." She whispered before hurrying home.

When she climbed through the window into her room an unexpected sight met her eyes. One of the lamps was lit and Nadira sat smugly on her bed.

"Well, Well, Well, an Englishman Saffiya? I thought even you wouldn't stoop that low."

"And I thought you wouldn't stoop to spying!" Djaq retorted. She aimed a steady punch at her maid's head and knocked Nadira out. She then gagged the girl, tied her up and locked her in the closet. After a moment's consideration she decided to head back out into the silent city. She still had a good five hours before she had to sneak out of the city. Five hours to spend with Will.

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Thanks for reading! Please review.

P.S. Can anyone guess what minor character Nadira is based on?


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Do you really think I would be writing Fanfiction if I owned Robin Hood?

Author's note: Congrats to HighPriestessOfTheDreamWorld for correctly guessing that Nadira is based on Bassam's traitor servant girl (in S2 E13)! Thanks to all my amazing reviewers(you know who you are) :)

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The Next Morning

Marian was about to finish off the Saracen she was fighting when someone called her name

"Marian!" It was another Saracen, a physician most likely, wearing a dark cloak. She wondered what the cloak was for. It was incredibly hot in the desert and cloaks were such a nuisance when fighting. While she was distracted, her opponent had recovered and he was swinging his sword at her head. She couldn't move; she was going to die.

But the Saracen stopped midswing, one of her daggers imbedded in his chest. The dark cloaked Saracen was suddenly next to her.

"Nice throw" the boy said in Arabic, rather louder than necessary. In English he continued

"I am a friend. I can help you rescue Will Scarlett, but you have to trust me. Pretend to capture me, I don't care how, and take me to your camp. I'll explain everything there." She considered this for a moment then made her decision. She swung a fist at the Saracen, who didn't even flinch, and knocked him out. As he collapsed the hood of the cloak fell back, revealing a young woman.

"John!" Marian yelled. The big man fought his way over to her.

"What is it Marian?"He asked. She gestured to the unconscious Saracen.

"Take her to my tent and tie her up. I need to go talk to Robin." Little John looked confused, but thankfully he didn't ask any questions. He simply gathered the slender woman in his arms and carried her in the direction of camp.

Marian headed towards the royal banner, where her husband was sure to be. He was always protecting his king. It still amazed her that she had been lucky enough to marry Robin Hood. Had it really been only three months ago? She could still remember the day he had proposed to her. Naturally he had done it in the middle of a battle while killing Saracens, but it had still been so romantic. And then the wedding; Robin had looked so handsome, and the king himself had given her away.

She saw Robin now, standing next to the king and a rush of warmth and love filled her as it always did when she looked at her husband. When he saw her coming his face broke into a wide smile. She ran the last few yards into his arms.

"Robin," she murmured "I met someone who might be able to help us rescue Will."

"Who? Where is he?"

"She's a young Saracen woman. I had John take her to my tent." she answered calmly. Robin looked at her in alarm.

"I don't think that was such a good idea. Are you sure that you can trust her?"

"Of course I don't trust her. She's a pretty Saracen girl disguised as a boy. I knocked her out and told John to tie her up."

"If she was planning on helping us, she probably won't now that you've treated her like a prisoner."

Marian sighed. Men could be impossible sometimes.

"She wanted me to treat her like a prisoner. She asked me to pretend to capture her. She saw what I was doing and didn't even try to stop me." Robin finally seemed to understand.

"Go talk to her Marian. See how she can help us. I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered. They kissed briefly, and then parted.

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Djaq slowly pulled herself out of the blackness and looked around. Marian sure knew how to throw a punch. Now, where was she? It was a crusader's tent, Lady Marian's judging by the decoration. Her hands were loosely bound behind her back. It was the work of a moment to untie the crude knots. Didn't anyone around here know how to tie a knot properly? There were some things she needed to do that required both hands untied.

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	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Do you really think I own Robin Hood?

Author's Note: I'm in Florida on vacation right now! Yay!!!

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Marian strode purposefully towards her tent. The Saracen was probably still unconscious and now she would have to wait around for the stupid girl to wake up. She would much rather be out fighting enemies. She hated sitting around doing nothing. When she walked into her tent, however, she was met by a rather unexpected sight. The young woman was sitting on her bed, in a dress, calmly combing her hair. When she saw Marian, she put down the brush and quickly pinned her hair up in a simple bun. Marian couldn't help staring. Was this really the girl that she had knocked out?

"Who are you?" she asked

"My name is Saffiya, but I'd prefer Djaq." the Saracen replied.

"Djaq? Why Djaq? That's a boys' name." she couldn't help remarking

"I started using the name when I was in disguise and I like it more than Saffiya. Djaq was my twin brother. "

"Was?"

"He was killed in your crusades." Djaq informed her quietly. Marian instantly felt sorry for the girl. Losing someone close to you was always painful. She started to say something, but Djaq had already moved away from that subject.

"Listen, this is my plan for rescuing Will…" Marian listened and nodded. It was a good plan. After the Saracen had finished, she asked

"Why are you helping us?"

"I want this war to stop. If Will Scarlett is killed, the crusaders will use it as an excuse to attack the city. Then my people will use that as an excuse to attack the crusaders and so on." Djaq told her

"That's not the real reason." Marian commented.

"I'm not betraying you, if that's what you think." the girl's tone was slightly hostile.

"I wasn't implying that." Marian explained quickly

"Then what were you implying?"

"I think you're in love with Will." she guessed. Djaq's refusal to respond told Marian everything she needed to know.

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Carter paced impatiently with the rest of the former outlaws, waiting for Marian. He was the newest member of the gang, as they liked to call it, but he had already become one of the lads. His skills and quick thinking were invaluable, and once he and Robin had gotten over their initial differences they had become fast friends. The whole gang had quickly accepted him once their leader.

As he thought about this, the 'door' was pushed open and Marian came in, followed by a young Saracen woman.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Djaq looked around at the former outlaws surrounding her. The one holding the bow that Marian was looking at must be Robin Hood, the leader; the man known as "The Archer". The man to his right with the funny cap, devouring a piece of bread, had to be Much. The big man to Robin's left was clearly Little John. There were two other men standing off to the side staring at her. The one wearing the crusader uniform must be Carter; which meant that the one with the shifty blue eyes was Allan A Dale. Her guess was confirmed when Allan said.

"Not bein' funny, but how's a sixteen year old girl going to help us rescue Will?" She glared at him.

"I'm seventeen. I'll be eighteen in four days."

"Sorry, an almost eighteen year old girl." Allan muttered.

Robin looked at her.

"What's your name?"

"Saffiya, but I'd prefer Djaq."

"Very well Djaq. Tell us your plan."

"You will announce that you are holding me hostage and that you want to trade me for Will. He will have to agree." Robin smiled.

"It's so crazy it just might work. What do you think lads? Should we try it?" there was a resounding chorus of ayes.

"It's settled. We'll do it." Robin declared. "Marian, go ask the King to call a temporary truce." Marian hurried off.

Djaq saw the one she thought was Carter approach Robin.

"Robin, I think my spy got found out. She wasn't at our usual meeting place this morning and she's always there." Something clicked and Djaq asked

"Is your spy named Nadira by any chance?" Carter stared at her.

"How did you know? Was she discovered?"

"Lucky guess. She wasn't discovered. She's my maid. I locked her in the closet last night to keep her from telling my guardian that I was helping you."

"So you're the girl she works for." Carter realized "She tells me about you a lot. It might interest you to know that she's in love with your future husband."

"I wish I was in love with my future husband." Djaq sighed.

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Thanks for reading!

Reviews make me happy.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Still don't own Robin Hood.

Happy(late) Easter Everybody!

Sorry I couldn't post this sooner. The stupid computer wasn't letting me upload it(grrr)

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The Battle Field

King Richard waved the white flag above his head.

"Truce, I call a truce." The sultan nodded and motioned for his men to stop fighting for the moment. Richard did the same.

"What do you want King Richard?" the Saracen ruler asked.

"My men have captured one of your people, a young woman by the name of Saffiya, and you have one of my fighters. I wish to trade prisoners." The sultan looked dubious.

"How do I know this isn't some kind of ruse?" Richard gestured to Marian, who brought Djaq forward. If the king hadn't known that the two girls were acting he would have had a serious talk with Marian about the treatment of prisoners.

Djaq looked terrified. Her eyes were wide as saucers and she had several cuts and bruises on her pale face. Her hands were tied behind her back and Marian jerked the rope a bit harder than necessary, causing the girl to fall and cry out in pain.

"Get up and be quiet!" Marian growled at her. Meekly, Djaq obeyed.

"Don't overdo it." The king cautioned under his breath. Next to him, Robin whispered

"Relax Your Majesty. Let the girls have their fun. They're having the time of their lives." Richard could see that this was true. The wicked glint in Marian's eye was really a sparkle of amusement and Djaq held her head down to hide the ghost of a smile playing at her lips. He looked at the Sultan, who was glaring daggers at him.

"One life is a small price to pay for the many lives I will save by killing your soldier." At that moment, Djaq threw herself forward.

"Please Mighty Sultan save me! Do anything he wants, just save me!" she wailed, then stopped as Marian slapped her.

But the sultan ignored her pleas and turned to his soldiers. In Arabic he said

"My people, tomorrow we will score a great victory. Tomorrow the Archer's man will die." The Saracens cheered.

Richard saw Djaq's face turn deathly pale at her leader's words and he knew she wasn't acting. She quickly regained her composure as Marian pulled her back to the crusader's camp.

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

After the failed truce, the gang gathered in their meeting tent to discuss what to do next. When the two girls came in they finally let out their barely suppressed laughter.

"Did you see his face?!!" Marian giggled.

"He was glaring at you the whole time." Djaq recalled and the two of them collapsed on the floor laughing hysterically. Robin sighed; women could be so strange sometimes.

"Marian, Djaq, get a hold of yourselves" he ordered "We need a new plan." Djaq immediately turned serious, but it took a moment for Marian to get her laughter in check.

Suddenly, Djaq strode towards the door.

"Forget you losers!" she nearly shouted. Marian stared at her.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Home" the Saracen told her "I'm sick of all you Englishmen." She pushed past Carter, nearly knocking him over, and ran out of the tent.

"After her!" Robin yelled "We can't let her escape!" That girl knew way too much about them. But, unfortunately, she was very fast. She easily dodged man and weapon alike, even his arrows, and made it to her city. At the gate she turned once to look back and her eyes seemed to be saying 'I'm sorry'.

"Great" he muttered "What do we do now?"

"We meet her at the east gate at nine o'clock tonight to rescue Will." Carter said grinning. Everyone stared at him.

"What do you mean?"Allan voiced what all of them were thinking. Carter kept smiling.

"As she pushed past me she whispered 'East gate at nine, for Will.'" A slow grin spread across Robin's face.

"So she 'escapes' from us, realistically, gets back into her city, and lets us in to rescue Will. Smart girl."

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Thanks for reading.

I personally don't really like how this chapter turned out so I may end up rewriting it. Tell me what you think.

Please.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I still do NOT own Robin Hood (but if anyone knows a way that I could get it then please tell me)

Author's note: So sorry I couldn't update last week. I was banned from the computer all week except for homework purposes :(

This chapter's extra long to make up for that.

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The East gate

The clock struck nine. Djaq stood sentry by the gate watching the approaching outlaws with a hint of amusement. They might be good at sneaking around forests and towns, but they were hopeless when it came to staying unseen in the desert. Their dark cloaks stood out very clearly against the light sand. She pretended to pay no attention to them. After all, she was helping them. They crept closer and closer until Marian had a knife at her throat.

"Okay mister, hand over the key or we'll take it from your dead body." Djaq grinned.

"Marian, sneaking around the desert is definitely not your forte. I could see you guys coming from a mile away." At that statement Much looked at Robin.

"I told you forest green was **not** a good color for the desert." He reminded them.

"Much, shut up!" Allan hissed. Djaq unlocked the gate and ushered the outlaws inside. She then picked up a half hidden axe and followed them. Little John stared at the weapon.

"That's Will's axe." He recalled "Where did you get it?" Djaq winked at him.

"I stole it. I figured that he might need it if it comes to a fight." She had thought of everything."Anyway, if I'm going to help you guys I might as well do everything I can." They were quiet the rest of the way to town center.

"I'll take the guard," Djaq whispered. Marian shook her head,

"Leave it to the master."

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Will looked up as a figure used a now-familiar cartwheel to knock out the guard.

"Djaq!" he called softly. The girl turned.

"Oh, sorry, Marian," he amended, recognizing her.

She laughed and asked, "Will, do you know anyone other than me that can do that?"

"Djaq can. Is she here?"

"Of course I am," she said, stepping out of the shadows with the rest of the gang. "I wouldn't miss rescuing you for the world. Anyway, I'm the one with the key." She inserted the small brass key into the lock and turned it. The mechanism clicked and simple as that, Will was free. Djaq handed him his axe.

"Thank you," he whispered as he put the weapon in its' holder on his back, amazed. She was an incredible young woman.

"My gang, this way." Robin called. Five former outlaws, a crusader, and a Saracen followed him.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

They arrived back at the east gate breathless and exhilarated. Djaq could hardly contain her laughter. Robin turned to her.

"Thank you for your help Djaq. We won't trouble you anymore."

"What do you mean?" she asked, not understanding "I'm coming with you."

"No" Robin stated firmly "You are staying here and that's final." Djaq sighed. She could see that it would be useless to argue with him. She unlocked the door and Robin, followed by his gang, slipped out the small gate. She was about to go when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find herself staring into Will's grey-green eyes. He took her hand in his and pressed something into her palm, then closed her fingers around the object. The two of them stood that way for what could have been forever, or no time at all. Neither of them spoke. They simply stared into each other's eyes, speaking a language stronger than words.

"Will" Robin called softly "Time to go."

As Will began to turn away Djaq did something that surprised them both. She whispered

"I love you Will Scarlett" and shyly kissed him. He hesitated for less than a millisecond and then he returned the kiss. Their lips were glued together for a few brief seconds, until Robin called again, louder this time.

"Will"

The young English carpenter and the young Saracen woman parted for what could be the last time. They went their separate ways, both silently cursing fate.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

As Will caught up with the rest of the gang, Allan fell in step beside him.

"It could've been worse ya' know." He remarked. Will appreciated his friend's attempt to cheer him up, but right now he couldn't think of anything worse than this. Even if he could, he didn't think it would help. He felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest and set it on fire. He wanted to scream, cry, and throttle someone with his axe. Preferably the Sherriff (whenever he was really mad he had a tendency to want to murder the Sherriff, or Guy, or the nearest castle guard).

"I'm sorry" someone said. Will looked up and saw that Robin was next to him. He looked sincere, but Will wasn't ready to forgive his leader, not yet. He quickened his pace and left Robin behind.

He heard Marian approach her love.

"Robin," She began, but he interrupted her.

"No Marian. It's better this way; for both of them"

Will knew Robin was probably right, but that didn't make him feel any better about it.

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Djaq was almost halfway back to her house before she thought to look at what Will had given her. It was a thin wooden tag, with the outlaws' symbol carved on it, strung on a length of twine. She smiled and tied it around her neck, checking that the string was long enough to keep it hidden under her shirt. The tag rested directly above her heart.

She got back to Bassam's house and quickly climbed in the window. It was the work of a moment to remove her disguise and change back into her nightgown, even as tired as she was. She didn't think of Nadira until she was almost asleep. Oh well, she'd deal with that in the morning.

* * *

Thanks for reading!

Reviews make me happy :)

PS: If anyone's wondering why Djaq seems to know everything about the outlaws it's because Will told her about everybody during those five hours before she snuck out to talk to the gang (See chapter eight)


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Robin Hood (obviously)

Author's Note: Yeah! I updated on Sunday this week :)

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The Next Morning

Djaq woke up earlier than she usually did, almost before the sun even. Her first thought was 'Will!' Then she remembered the events of last night; Sneaking out, helping the outlaws, and having to stay behind. She also remembered Nadira, who was still locked in the closet. Now would probably be a good time to deal with that. She pulled herself out of bed and walked over to the closet. She turned the handle and tried to open it, but of course she couldn't since she had locked it.

"That's funny" she said, a bit louder than necessary "It's locked." She retrieved the key from its hiding place under her mattress and unlocked the door. Then she opened her closet and pretended to be shocked to see her maid tied up and gagged.

"Nadira! What happened?" she asked feigning surprise and worry. She un-gagged the girl and untied her, but Nadira wasn't falling for it.

"Don't play coy Saffiya" she spat contemptuously "You tied me up and locked me in the closet so I wouldn't tell Bassam about your English boyfriend." Both froze as they heard footsteps approaching. Nadira smiled triumphantly.

"Bassam's coming, you failed. I'm going to tell him everything. You can't rescue your boyfriend if you're imprisoned, can you?" It was Djaq's turn to look smug.

"We rescued him last night. Listen, I've got a deal for you. You keep my secret and I'll keep yours. I know you're Carter's spy." Nadira's eyes widened.

"Fine, deal." She agreed.

Seconds later, Bassam walked into the room and saw Nadira brushing Djaq's long raven black hair while Djaq read one of her science books; a very normal sight. He smiled.

"Good morning Saffiya, and you, Nadira."

"Good morning Bassam." The girls replied innocently.

He was stopped from saying anything else by a loud banging on the door. Bassam made his way downstairs, closely followed by Djaq and Nadira.

"Open this door, by order of the sultan!" Djaq had a feeling she knew what this was about. Bassam calmly opened the door and two soldiers barged in. He glared at them.

"I demand to know what is happening!" He commanded.

"The prisoner escaped last night. We have been ordered to search all houses." One of the men explained. Djaq decided that now would be a good time to make these fools think that she was not the person they were looking for, even though she was. She called upon her acting abilities for what seemed like the millionth time this week.

"You mean the archer's man! He escaped! How?! How could this happen?! We'll all be murdered!"

"Don't worry miss. We'll find him. Anyway, the archer and his men aren't usually killers." One of the guards assured her.

"Usually?!" she echoed with a hint of hysteria in her voice. She debated pretending to faint, but she saw that her tirade had fooled the soldiers completely.

"We'll just search the house and then leave you alone." The second soldier declared, looking rather embarrassed. Idiots, they were so easy to manipulate. Either people were getting stupider or her acting abilities were improving. She knew the soldiers would never find anything. The only evidence that she had helped Will was the tag tucked under her shirt, just above her heart. And no one would ever see that.

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Two days later

"Saffiya, wake up!" Djaq opened her eyes. Nadira stood over her, holding a lamp.

"What's going on? It's not even light outside." Djaq pointed out.

"Saffiya, it's your wedding day. Remember? You need to get up now so you can get ready." The scorn in her maid's voice surprised her until she remembered Carter's words from a few days ago:

"_It might interest you to know she's in love with your future husband." _

In a flash of inspiration she knew exactly what to do.

"Nadira, I have a plan, but I need your help"

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Thanks so much for reading

As always reviews make me very happy(I might even manage to update on Saturday next week.)


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own RH. The only character I own is Lord Alter.

Author's note: This chapter is mostly set up for the end. Only two or three more chapters to go :)

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The Crusader's Camp

This was it. This was really it. They were leaving today.

Until a few days ago Will had been looking forward to going home to Sherwood Forest. Now he was dreading it. Although he knew that even if he did stay he probably wouldn't see Djaq again, leaving made the separation seem more permanent, more real.

"Will! We're leaving for the harbor in an hour."Robin called from somewhere outside the tent "Are you ready?"

"Just about" Will shouted back. He shoved the last of his stuff in his knapsack, then picked up a block of wood he had found recently. He unsheathed his knife and started carving the thick wood. He hadn't carved this piece before because it was so thick, but now that challenge took his mind off Djaq. Or so he thought. When he looked down, however, he realized that the sparrow he had been carving had turned into a pigeon, her favorite bird. The little figure brought a half-smile to his face. He would never forget her, no matter how hard he tried. But that wasn't a bad thing.

"Will, come on. The king wants to talk to us before we leave." Allan said as he walked into the tent. Will sighed and pocketed the bird, then he followed his friend to the king's tent in the center of camp.

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The King's tent

Allan A Dale was bored; really bored. He supposed he should be pleased that the king was thanking him, instead of yelling at him. Usually, the only time Allan saw the King was when he'd 'borrowed' something, or cheated somebody at cards, or gotten really drunk, or lied or – well needless to say, he was in the king's tent getting yelled at a lot. He looked around. Maybe one of the servants had changed the tapestries. Nope, darn it. Those tapestries were the only remotely interesting thing in the tent. But he'd already memorized all the writing on these ones three months ago- and translated everything into Arabic, which Robin had taught the whole gang. He would have translated the writing into French or Latin, except for the fact that he didn't know French or Latin.

He noticed that everyone else seemed actually interested in the king! Except Will. He was staring at one of the tapestries, clearly not listening. Lucky Will. He was never in trouble and therefore hadn't memorized all of the tapestries. Then Allan realized that Will wasn't looking at the tapestry. Instantly, he was sorry that he'd been jealous of Will. He'd been being selfish, as usual. He was a little bored, so what? Will must be feeling terrible. He knew that, for Will, going home meant leaving Djaq, forever.

Allan couldn't blame his friend for falling in love with the pretty Saracen. She was smart and beautiful, not to mention the fact that she had saved his life. But a Saracen? He thought Will had a little bit more common sense than that. But love was said to do strange things to people. He only hoped that Will would snap out of it by the time they got home.

And the King was still talking! Honestly, didn't that man have something better to do, like lead troops, or yell at people, or something?

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Lord Alter's House

Lord Alter stood and waited for his bride. Saffiya was one of the prettiest young ladies in the city. He was pleased that that her guardian, Bassam, had chosen him, of all her suitors, as the most suitable.

He remembered the first time he had seen Saffiya. It had been a few days after her arrival in the city. Bassam had sent her to deliver a message to him. He had foolishly made some remark about how she should be at home doing embroidery, or some such thing. She had punched him in the face and informed him that she hated sewing. She had also said that if he ever said anything like that again she would run him through with his own sword. He didn't doubt it. And once he had gotten over being mad at her he had fallen in love with her.

He just wished he knew if she loved him. Ever since that first day she had been civil enough around him but behind her slight smile was a warning: I'm being nice now, but play by my rules or I will kill you. He had respected her boundaries and they had gotten along fine, but he didn't know how she would act today.

Just then her carriage arrived. A boy opened the door and she stepped out, Saffiya, his bride. She turned to the servant standing beside her and dismissed the girl. As the maid ran off, Lord Alter couldn't help thinking she was very familiar. He ignored the thought and focused his attention on Saffiya. She was even lovelier than he remembered. And, best of all, she seemed truly happy to be here. Life was perfect.

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If Djaq had known what Lord Alter was thinking she would probably have agreed. Everything was going according to plan. Life** was** perfect, or rather was about to be.

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Was the part with Allan in character?

Please review and tell me.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood or any of the characters. The BBC got to them first.

Author's Note: I know, late again. My sister and I had Dance recitals this week (Thinks about the torture devices known as bobby pins and shudders. Then, imagines torturing Guy with said torture devices and is happy again.)

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The Port of Acre

Once again, Will Scarlett was standing on the docks of a crowded port, waiting to board a ship that would take him across the water. Once again, he didn't want to leave.

He hated ships. Every time he had been on one he had been leaving something behind that he loved. A ship had taken him from Sherwood Forest, his home, eight months ago. Now, a ship was taking him from Djaq, the woman he loved. It would be better if ships had never been created. Well, maybe that wasn't true. If it was anyone's fault, it was his own. His fault for agreeing to come, his fault for getting captured, his fault for falling in love with a Saracen when he knew that they could never be together. Some part of him knew that no one was at fault, but it was easier when there was someone to blame.

"Will! For the third time, stop daydreaming and get on the ship." Robin's voice interrupted his thoughts. The third time? Oops. He half ran up the gangplank to join his friends.

"You really need to work on paying attention mate." Allan remarked.

"Sorry" Will muttered. He wished that Allan would stop trying to cheer him up with lame jokes.

"It will be good to get home to Sherwood. I mean, it was nice seeing the King and all that, but I'm starting to get tired of all the fighting and killing and stuff." Why did Much have to fill every silence with meaningless words? It was really annoying. Apparently, Robin thought so too because he said

"Much, shut up. Don't make me wish I was leaving you instead of Carter." Carter had decided to stay behind and continue fighting in the crusades.

Much looked indignant.

"I'm not talking to you until you apologize for that!"

"Good" Robin retorted cheerfully.

"Bet you five pounds he'll talk to Robin sometime in the next five minutes." Allan whispered to Will.

"Only five pounds?" he replied "You're usually a bigger gambler than that, especially when you can't lose." Allan shrugged.

"I've only got five pounds." He explained "It's against the rules of gambling to bet more than you have."

"Since when have you played by the rules?"

"Good point." Allan grinned "Fifty pounds."

"Go find someone else to bet with." Will suggested, starting to get annoyed at his friend. Allan never changed. Always wasting his money on games of chance.

The ship's captain signaled two of his sailors, who raised the gangplank. They were off. Will turned to go belowdecks. He didn't want to watch the land- and Djaq- disappear on the horizon. But something made him look back one more time.

His eye was caught by a commotion on the docks. Someone was running madly through the crowds, pushing people aside. When the person got onto the less crowded dock that the outlaws had been moored to, the wind blew the hood of the cloak off. The face under the hood was one he would have recognized anywhere.

"Djaq!"

She looked up and smiled at him, as if she had heard him. That was when Will realized that she was still running right towards the end of the dock. What was she doing? The day seemed to grow colder as he understood her plan. She was going to try to jump aboard the ship!

* * *

Djaq felt the wind blow her hood off and heard people behind her exclaiming, but she ignored those things. She concentrated on the ship. It was getting farther and farther away. Soon it would be too far to jump. She was counting on that. Timing was everything with this plan. If she jumped too soon Robin would force her to go back. Jump too late and she'd land in the water. She ran the last few strides and, with a ferverent prayer to her god, pushed off the edge of the dock.

* * *

Thanks for reading :)

Please, Please, Please review


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I still do not own Robin Hood.

Author's note: This is the last chapter.

I would like to thank my wonderful reviewers: HighPriestessOfTheDreamWorld, magical-archer, marianrules1280, imsohoodrr, LovePeaceandMusic, October'sLily510, Alex Joleta, CaptainDjaq, and anyone who reviews this story after this is written. Your feedback is like chocolate to me except better. That said, enjoy the last chapter.

* * *

_Djaq ran the last few strides and, with a ferverent prayer to her god, pushed off the edge of the dock._

She was flying and it was amazing. Like her best dream ever but so much better. She could feel the wind racing through her hair and through her cloak. Now, more than ever, she wished she had wings. Then she wouldn't need to worry about the landing.

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Will held his breath as he watched Djaq jump off the dock and soar through the air. Could she make it? Would she make it? He could only watch helplessly and pray that she would land safely.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The landing. This could be tricky. She could see even now that she would have to land perfectly or she would fall into the sea. Some hidden instinct took over and she somehow ended up balanced precariously on the ship's railing. Then, the ship hit a wave and she lost what little balance she had. She was going to fall into the cold sea.

But she didn't fall. Strong hands gripped her waist and lifted her gently to the deck. Djaq turned to see who had rescued her, even though she already knew. It was Will. She lost herself in the swirling depths of his grey-green eyes. She could tell he was under a similar spell.

After a minute Will spoke;

"Djaq, You are the wildest, strongest, most amazing woman I've ever met. You really shouldn't have done that."

She smiled.

"Will Scarlett, I would follow you to the ends of the Earth and back." She told him, completely serious.

Now Will was also smiling.

"I love you." He murmured as he pulled her into an embrace. They stayed that way for a long time.

"You cut your hair." Will observed after several minutes, still holding her close.

"Yes" she replied, feeling the weightlessness of her now boy-length hair. "I couldn't risk being recognized. Besides, I've been wanting to cut it for a long time."

"It suits you." He remarked quietly, running his fingers through her hair.

"Will Scarlett! Get down here now, or I'll have to come get you! Robin's called another meeting."

Will and Djaq looked at each other and grinned.

"Allan." They said at the same time. The troublemaker was always easy to identify. After his message sunk in, Will sighed.

"We should probably see what's going on down there. The rest of the gang went below before you jumped."

She followed Will belowdecks and met the shocked stares of the rest of the gang.

"Djaq, I thought I told you to stay behind." Robin accused. She shrugged.

"I disobeyed you."

He sighed and for the first time since she had met him, Djaq could see that this man carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Her respect for him grew tenfold as she finally understood why his name was always spoken in slightly awed tones, even among her own people.

"Djaq, I asked you to stay behind for a reason. If you disappear King Richard will be blamed and any chance of peace will be destroyed."

"That's where you're wrong Robin" She told him "My maid, Nadira, switched places with me. She looks a lot like me and she was happy to do it. She will marry Lord Alter and no one will know I am gone. So I'm happy, she's happy, you're happy, everybody's happy."

"I suppose I can't argue with that." Robin admitted, biting back a smile. "Does anyone have a problem with Djaq joining the gang?" He looked around. "No? In that case: Will, give her a tag."

"I don't need to." Will informed him. Robin looked confused.

"Why not?"

Djaq answered that question.

"He already gave me one." She revealed the wooden tag that had been hidden under her shirt. Robin rolled his eyes good naturedly and smiled.

"Welcome to the gang Djaq." Then he turned serious. "When we get home we have to be ready for anything. It's likely that Vasey has found some way to take over Nottingham again…" He described several scenarios and the former outlaws discussed plans for each. Djaq offered suggestions when she could, but as she knew little about Nottingham and the former Sherriff Vasey mostly she just listened. Djaq soon began to understand how they had managed to not only to survive but to come out on top. Robin was an excellent leader, strong, confident, and clever. The rest of the gang each had unique talents which they combined to make an unbeatable team. She was proud to have joined them. For the first time in her life everything felt right.

That night

Djaq lay in the hammock that served as her bed and glanced at Marian, who she was sharing a room with. Will and the rest of the boys were only across the hall, but it felt like he was a million miles away. She had debated sneaking over to the boys' room but, as there seemed to be a rather rambunctious pillow fight going on, that was impossible.

Then Marian rolled over and sat up.

"Djaq" she whispered "Are you awake?" Djaq sat up as well.

"Of course I'm awake. No one could sleep through the racket those five are making."

"Why don't we go tell them to shut up?" Marian grinned conspiratorially and grabbed her pillow. Djaq picked up her own pillow.

"Good idea!"

They quietly got up and walked across the hall. Marian opened the door and all the outlaws instantly froze, looking guilty. Djaq smiled.

"You don't need to stop. However, next time you have a party invite us, will you!" That said, she threw her pillow directly at Allan. He was so surprised that he actually fell over. Marian threw hers at Robin and the pillow fight was soon back in full swing.

After about an hour, they were all too exhausted to stay up any longer. No one wanted to deal with getting into the hammocks, so all of them, including Djaq and Marian, simply collapsed on the floor.

Djaq drifted swiftly into the twilit world of dreams. There she saw a dark faceless evil. She knew that this was Vasey, former sheriff of Nottingham. Despite this she felt no fear, for standing beside her was a young English outlaw with dark brown hair and grey-green eyes. Will. The rest of the gang was close by, lighting the darkness.

The dream faded and she fell into a deeper dreamless sleep. She did not remember her dream in the morning. But she knew, somehow she knew; if the outlaws of Sherwood thought that their fight was over, they were wrong. It was far from over. It had barely even begun.

_Fine_

* * *

Thanks for reading.

I will write a sequel, but only if you review. The first chapter will probably be up in a couple weeks(once I've gotten the first few chapters written). Suggestions would be great.


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